US President Joe Biden speaking Friday at the annual UN climate conference, called on world leaders to redouble their determination to combat climate change and stated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reinforces the need to eliminate dependence on fossil fuels.
“We cannot plead ignorance about the consequences of our actions or continue to repeat our mistakes”said.
Biden’s brief participation in the conference known as COP27 was largely a celebratory visit, with the president emphasizing new spending on clean energy initiatives that will “change the paradigm” for the United States and the rest of the world.
But Biden overlooked how he has pushed to increase oil and gas production to cut costs that have been politically problematic at home and fueled the invasion of Ukraine by allowing Russia higher prices for its fuel exports.
“This meeting must be the time to recommit to our future and our shared ability to write a better story for the world.”Biden said.
The US president spent three hours in Egypt, where he met with autocratic leader Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, before continuing on an international tour. Biden will first travel to Cambodia for the Association of Southeast Asian Countries summit, where he will reiterate the United States’ commitment to the region in the face of Chinese influence.
Later, in Indonesia, the US president plans to meet for the first time as president with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, with whom planned to discuss rising tensions between Washington and Beijing over Taiwantrade policies, China’s relations with Russia and other topics.
Biden left Washington on Thursday night, buoyed by better-than-expected results from Democrats in Tuesday’s midterm elections, Congressional approval this year of one of the largest climate investments in US history, and military defeats by Russia in Ukraine.
At the climate conference, Biden discussed a new supplemental rule that goes into effect Friday that cracks down on methane emissions, a move that expands on a similar regulation his administration approved the previous year.
Biden also highlighted one of the greatest achievements of his national agenda: the Democrats’ broad public health and climate change law, known as the Inflation Reduction Act.
The US allocation of some $375 billion over a decade to combat climate change gives Biden greater leverage to pressure other countries to deliver on promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions and move the global economy. towards clean sources of energy.